Tag Archives: Medical

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Ambulance Exchange Point (AXP) Ops in LSCO

Keys to Success at the CTCs and in Combat

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Ambulance Exchange Points (AXPs) are quintessential to the successful, expeditious evacuation of casualties from Point of Injury (POI) throughout the continuum of care during Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) and Multi-Domain Operations (MDO). With our near-peer/peer competitors possessing anti-air assets, air medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) may not always be available to the maneuver unit, especially between the Forward Line of Troops (FLOT) to the nearest Role of Care. Commanders must understand how to best utilize their ambulance squads, how to move AXPs throughout operations, and what tactical considerations to take when selecting AXP.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team and 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, both 3rd Infantry Division, participate in medical evacuation training near Ziemsko, Poland, June 6, 2020. Exercise Allied Spirit, a DEFENDER-Europe 20 linked exercise, originally scheduled for May, takes place at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland, June 15-19, 2020.
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Splitting the Battalion Aid Station

Are Units Doing it Right?

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It’s common for units at the National Training Center to split their Battalion Aid Station (BAS) into a Forward Aid Station (FAS) and a Main Aid Station (MAS). Unfortunately, many units find they don’t really know what to do with them once they’re split. Observers often find units asking the same questions; Is there a difference in capability? Is the MAS required to stay fixed, while the FAS bounds ahead? When does it make sense not to split the BAS? To answer these question, we must look at doctrine to clarify commonly misused terms, understand medical unit composition, and review tactics. These three steps will demonstrate that extended medical coverage and bounding medical coverage are useful techniques that units can use to increase survivability and treat wounded soldiers to get them back in the fight.

A Soldier assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) monitors a simulated casualty during a training exercise at Camp McGregor, New Mexico March 31, 2020. The training exercise focused on enhancing a wide variety of skillsets for the participating Green Berets and soldiers such as weapons training and medical training to prepare them for future operations. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Steven Lewis)
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Common Trends in Brigade Medical Operations from JMRC

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Many young Medical Service Corps officers have only conducted Medical Operations (MEDOPS) in support of counterinsurgency operations with uncontested airspace. Due to changing threats, the Combat Training Centers (CTCs) have adapted scenarios to replicate decisive action (DA) combat against near peer threats. The DA environment is much different because airspace, communications, and key terrain are all contested. Additionally, near peer threats cause higher numbers of casualties. I have observed the following 10 trends over four DA rotations as a BDE MEDOPS OCT at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC). The trends and recommended Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) described below are based on my observations in the field and each represents “a way,” not “the way” to coordinate health service support in the DA environment.

U.S Soldiers assigned to the the 82nd Airborne Division medevac a simulated casualty while conducting a freedom of maneuver detachment during a Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission rehearsal exercise (MRE) at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, July 1, 2017.
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Assuming Risk to Save Lives

Placement of the Battalion Aid Station During LSCO

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Long-gone are the days of wide area security operations from static, built-up locations. The changing nature of war will reward flexibility and an expeditionary mindset, and punish conformists. Commanders and units have become comfortable with medical plans that assume very little risk regarding placement of the Battalion Aid Station (BAS). With the Army’s renewed focus on large scale combat operations (LSCO), leaders must consider employing the BAS and medical platoon in ways that have largely went untrained and unpracticed. To save as many lives as possible, commanders and leaders must consider placement of the BAS as far forward as tactically feasible.

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NTC Update (NOV 19)

Brigade Medical Company Observations & Best Practices

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The Brigade Role 2 MTF has the capability to provide packed red blood cells (liquid), limited x-ray, clinical laboratory, operational dental support, combat and operational stress control, preventive medicine, and when augmented, physical therapy and optometry services. The Role 2 MTF provides a greater capability to resuscitate trauma patients than is available at Role 1. Those patients who can return to duty within 72 hours are held for treatment as long as the Role 2 remains in place and/or has the lift capacity to move patients during a displacement. The Role 2 is also responsible for evacuation of patients from each battalion’s Role 1 (ATP 4-02.55). 

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Taylor McGinnis)
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JMRC MASCAL Lessons Learned for LSCO

Exercise Saber Strike 2018

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During one of the annual Saber Strike rotations at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC), a medic team brought a soldier onto a trauma table in the Role 2 with his casualty card attached. The doctor took a look at the injuries listed on the card, examined the interventions in place, and studied the line of Soldiers waiting for treatment. Satisfied, the doctor shouted, “We can’t save him, send me someone else!”

A simulated casualty is prepared for evacuation during Saber Strike in Bemowo Piskie, Poland (photo by SPC Robert Douglass)